( 31 ) 
THE MOULTS OF THE BRITISH PASSERES, 
“WITH NOTES ON THE SEQUENCE OF THEIR 
PLUMAGES. 
BY 
H. F. WITHERBY. 
Part IX. 
(Continued from Vol. XI., page 19.) 
SEDGE-WARBLER (A. schanobenus). 
Apvutts.—-Complete moult in July and August. From 
January to April another complete moult takes place. There 
is no sexual difference in the plumage. The new spring 
plumage is like that of the winter, but the dark streaks on 
the mantle are less prominent and though there are occasion- 
ally a few spots at the sides of the throat, there are never any 
at the base of the throat or on the upper-breast as there 
sometimes are in winter. 
JUVENILE.—Like the adult but the edgings of the feathers 
of the upper-parts paler and more yellowish-brown and the 
rump and upper tail-coverts more yellowish and less tawny ; 
the sides and base of the throat and upper-breast more or 
less spotted. 
First WInTER.—The juvenile body-feathers are moulted 
from July to September, but apparently not the wing-coverts 
nor the wing- or tail-feathers. First winter birds have the 
dark streaks on the mantle more prominent than in the juvenile 
or adult ; the brown of the upper-parts is not usually quite 
so pale and yellowish as in the juvenile but distinctly more 
so than in the adult ; the base of the throat and the upper- 
breast are usually spotted but occasionally without spots. 
First SuMMER.—Moult as in the adult after which the bird 
is indistinguishable from the adult. 
Aquatic WARBLER (A. aquaticus), 
Apvuuts.—Complete moult from late June to September. 
In April there is a moult which is apparently confined to the 
body-feathers, the wing-coverts, wing- and tail-feathers not 
being moulted. There is no sexual difference in the plumage. 
The new spring plumage is much like that of winter, but the 
centre of the crown and the pale portions of the mantle and 
scapulars are more greyish and less yellowish, the under-parts 
are paler and the black streaks on the breast and flanks are 
much more prominent and more numerous and never absent 
as they often are in winter. In much worn plumage the 
upper-parts become less tawny and the under-parts white 
and the dark streaks more prominent. 
